Skateboard Safety Concerns In Riverside County After Two Deaths

Two children were killed in separate skateboarding accidents this month in Riverside County, prompting safety experts to urge skaters to wear safety gear and ride in designated areas.

Twelve-year-old Sean Mikhail died Aug. 11 in Moreno Valley when he fell off his skateboard and hit his head on the pavement.

He was not wearing a helmet.

In Menifee, Marlena Mattfeld, 11, of Long Beach, died Aug. 13, three days after she lost control and slid beneath a moving motor home, near her grandmother's home.

While skateboarding deaths are uncommon, they are a reminder of the importance of taking precautions like wearing a helmet, said Victoria Young, program coordinator for Riverside County Injury Prevention Services.

California law requires anyone under 18 to wear a helmet while using any wheeled equipment, including skateboards, bicycles and scooters.

Many cities have ordinances that regulate skateboarding and helmet laws at city parks and on public property.

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